Packaging machine



9 8- w. A. JOPLIN v 2,125,193

. PACKAGING MACHINE I Filed April 21, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR M Q cm ATTORNEY Aug. 9, 1938.

W. A. JOPLIN PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 21, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheqt 2 ATTORNEY A g. 9, 1938. w. A. JOPLIN4 2,126,193

PACKAGING' MACHINE Filed April 21, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet s lNVENTOR ela-1A, QMAL ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 9, 1938 PATENT QFFIQE PACKAGING MACHINE William A. Joplin, Wollaston, Mass, assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 21, 1937, Serial No. 138,210

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a packaging machine and particularly to a bottom sealing machine of the type provided with forming blocks upon which the cartons are supported while the bottom sealing operations are being performed.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved bottom sealing machine, of the character specified; in which provision is made for punching holes in one of the carton fiaps while the carton is supported upon the forming block.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved bottom sealing machine of the character specified in which a punch is provided at one station of operation, which is adapted to cooperate with a die carried by each of a plurality of forming blocks, successively advanced into operative relationship with the punch, and, at a succeeding station of operation,

a clearing pin is provided to remove the punchings from the die.

With these general objects in view, and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the bottom sealing machine, in the mechanism for perforating the carton flap, and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a bottom sealing machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bottom sealing machine;

, 3 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a carton produced by the machine; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the mechanism for punching holes in the carton flap while supported upon the forming block; Figs.

5, 6 and 7 are details of the punch and die to be referred to, Fig. '7 being a cross section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6; and Fig, 8 is a side elevation of the mechanism for clearing the punched out portion of the carton fiap from the block.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a bottom sealing machine .of the type provided with forming blocks on :which the cartons are supported while the bottom sealing operations are performed and in which provision is made for punching out or Referring now to the drawings, the different features of the invention are illustrated as embodied in a machine for bottom sealing cartons, and except as to such details as are hereinafter pointed out, the illustratedmachine comprises any of the usual forms of bottom sealing machines now upon the market, Reference is made to the United States patent to Scales, No. 767,445, dated August 16, 1904, as disclosing the details of construction and mode of operation of such prior art bottom sealing machines' As is generally known, and as illustrated in the Scales patent above referred to, these prior art bottom sealing machines have included a plurality of forming blocks upon each of which a carton is placed by suitable mechanisms, with the bottom flaps of the carton projecting below the bottom of the block. Successive cartons are placed upon successive blocks, as each block is moved into a definite station, and thereafter a particular block with its carton is intermittently revolved through successive steps of 90 degrees to permit the different operations of folding and sealing the bottom flaps of the carton to be performed.

Inasmuch as many portions of the bottom sealing machine of themselves constitute no part of the present invention, it has been deemed sufficient to illustrate only sufficient portions of the bottom sealing machine as will enable the present invention to be understood, and as herein shown, til represents the usual rotatable spider upon which four forming blocks 12 are mounted to revolve therewith. The different stations of the machine, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, include: station l, at which the carton is placed upon a block; station 2, at which the bottom fiapsare folded and sealed; station 3, at which pressure is applied to the bottom of the'carton to firmly set the sealed flaps; and, station i, at which the carton is removed from the block and delivered to an outgoing conveyor 8 to be carried away from the machine.

The spider ii! is arranged to be intermittently rotated by the usual form of Geneva drive including the Geneva wheel M and driver it through the cooperating gears l8, 2! The driver it is rotated from a convenient source of power through a shaft 22 and bevel gears 24, 25, the latter being mounted upon a drive shaft 28.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and a, the mechanism, forpunching holes in the carton flap, generally indicated at' 32, is located at station 3, where the operation of applying pressure to the In order to assure positive alignment of the.

punch 40 with its die 44, registering pins 46, are provided in the punching member which are arranged to enter holes 48 in the die 44 prior to the engagement of the punches 50 with the carton flap and the die. Inasmuch as the block, upon which the die is mounted, may not come to rest in perfect alignment with the punching mechanism, the die 44 is arranged to be movable with respect to its block I2 so that when the registering pins 46 enter the holes 48 the die may be moved thereby into alignment irrespective of slight irregularities in the position of the block. As herein illustrated, see Figs. 6 and 7, the die plate 44 is movably secured to the block by shoulder screws 52 and under the head of each screw a spring washer 54 is inserted. Clearance holes are provided in the die around the head and shoulder of each screw so that while the spring washer operates to hold the die plate to its block, the die plate is permitted to be shifted slightly with relation to the block. It will also be noted that clearance is provided in the block around the die plate as at 56 and 58 to permit shifting of the die.

In the illustrated machine, provision is made for operating the punching member 40 from the existing mechanism for pressing the bottom of the carton against the block. As herein shown, the presser member 60 is raised and lowered thromgh connections including a toggle link 62, lever 64, pivoted at 65, a cam roll 66 and a cam 68 mounted on the cam shaft 10. The cam shaft I0 is driven from the drive shaft 28 through the cooperating gears I2, I4. The punching member 40 is operatively connected'to the presser member 60 through connections including toggle links I6, I8, connected respectively to the punching member 40 and a bracket 80 mounted on the machine frame, and a connecting rod 82 joined to a connecting member 84 secured to the outer end of the presser member 60.

Provision is made at the next'station of operation for clearing the die 44 of the punched out portions of the carton flap left in the block as a result of the punching operation and, as herein shown, see Fig. 8, the clearing pins 90, secured in a slide member 92, are operatively connected to the present mechanism for stripping the completed carton from its block. The slide member 92 is arranged to slide in a bracket 94 secured to the machine frame and the slide member is connected to a rock lever 96 by a link 98. The rock lever is secured to a rock shaft I00 suitably mounted in a bracket I02 secured to the machine frame. A second lever I04, fast on the rock shaft I00, extends into the path of a bar I06 secured to the stripping bracket I08. The stripping bracket, which carries the strip-ping fingers H0 is slidably arranged on a vertical slide H2, see Fig. 2, and is vertically reciprocated at each cycle of operation of the machine, through connections including a connecting rod H4, lever H8, H8, and a cam roll I20 cooperating with a cam I22 fast on the cam shaft 10. The clearing pins 90 are normallyheld in their retracted positions by a spring I24 connected to the lever I04 and to a pin I20 secured in the slide bracket 94. The rear face of the slide member 92 engages a stop member I28, made of leather or other sound absorbing material, when the slide member is in its retracted position. In operation, the stripping fingers H0 engage the upper ends of the side flaps of the carton and strip the carton from the forming block. During its descent, the bar I06 engages the lever I04 which operates to project the clearing pins 90 through the die 44 and through openings in the forming block, thereby removing the punched out portions from the die.

As herein illustrated, the bar I06 engages the lever I04, near the end of the stroke of the stripping mechanism so that the carton will be almost free of the block before the clearing pins 90 are actuated, thus exposing the openings in the die.

From the description thus far and by reference to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the improved carton produced by the present machine may be used so that when filled and sealed, the punched openings in the carton flap serve as pouring openings. After the carton has been filled the narrower side flaps may be first turned down and then the wider side flap with the punched holes therein may be folded upon the previously folded down narrower flaps and adhesively secured thereto. The final flap is then folded down to cover the punched openings in the previously folded side flap and to complete the sealing of the carton. When the carton is used, the final flap may be raised to expose the holes in any convenient mannenfor example, by inserting a knife under the final flap and lifting the same to break the adhesive seal between the final flap and the prew'ously folded down flap with the punched openings therein. In practice, the narrower flaps are formed so as not to interfere with the free flow of the material from within the carton outwardly through the punched openings in the flap. I

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms of packaging machines within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a carton sealing machine, in combination, a carton block for operatively supporting a carton while the bottom flaps thereof are folded and sealed to close the bottom of the carton, a die mounted upon the side of the forming block, and a punch adapted to cooperate with the die to form an opening in one flap of the carton while the carton is supported upon the block.

2. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons,'in combination, a plurality of forming blocks, each provided upon its side with a die disposed behind one of the proecting top flaps of the carton when the latter is in operative position upon the 'block, a punch member adapted to cooperate with successive dies of successive forming blocks to form a pouring opening in a top fiap of a carton supported upon each block, and means for operating the punch in timed relation to the operation of the machine.

3. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, a form- :ng block provided with a die mounted for slight movement thereon for purposes of alignment, said die being provided with a registering member, a punch adapted to cooperate with the die topunch a hole in a top flap of the carton supported upon the block and disposed between the punch and the die, a second registering member adapted to cooperate with the registering member upon the die to effect alignment of the die and the punch, and means for thereafter oper ating the punch to perform the punching operation.

4. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, forming block provided with a die mounted for slight movement thereon for purposes of alignment, said die being provided with a registering opening, a punch adapted to cooperate with the die to punch a hole in the top flap of the carton interposed between the die and the punch and supported upon the block and a registering pin adapted to engage in the registering opening in the die prior to the engagement of the punch with the die whereby to align the die with the punch, and means for operating the punch and registering member.

5. In a bottom sealing machine, in coinbination, a forming block, means for sealing the bottom flaps of the carton, including a member for pressing the bottom flaps against the bottom of the block, a die mounted upon the side of the block and disposed between the block and one of the top flaps of a carton supported thereon, a movable punch member adapted to cooperate with the die, and means for operating the punch member including connections with said bottom flap presser member.

6. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, a forming block provided upon its side with a die disposed between one of the top flaps of the carton and the block, a punch member adapted for co-- operation with the die, means for operating the punch member to punch an opening in the top flap and to deposit the punched out portions of the top fiap in the die, and means operating in timed relation to said punch member for thereafter clearing the punched out portions of the top flap from the die.

7. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, a forming block provided with a die disposed between one of the top flaps of the carton and the block, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die, means for operating the punch member to punch an opening in the top flap and to deposit the punched out portions of the top flap in the die, a clearing member movable into the die for removing the punched out portions of the carton therefrom.

8. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flap of cartons, in combination, a forming block provided with a die disposed between one of the top flaps of the carton and the block, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die, means for operating the punch member to punch an opening in the top flap and to deposit the punched out portions of the top flap in the die, stripping mechanism for stripping the carton from the block, and means operatively connected with the stripping mechanism for clearing the punched out portions of the carton flap from the die.

9. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottomfiaps of cartonsin combination, a forming block provided with a die disposed between one of the top flaps of the carton and the block, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die, means for operating the punch member to punch an opening in the top flap and to deposit the punched out portions of the top flap in the die, stripping mechanism. for stripping the carton from the block, and means operatively connected with the stripping mechanism for clearing the punched out portions of the carton flap from the die, said clearing mechanism being arranged to operate when the carton has been at least partially removed from the block.

10. in a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps or cartons, in combination, a form ing block provided with a die disposed between one of the top flaps of the carton and the block, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die, means for operating the punch member to punch an opening in the top flap and to deposit the punched out portions of the top flap in the die, stripping mechanism for stripping the carton from the block, and means operatively connected with the stripping mechanism for clearing the punched out portions of the carton flap from the die, said clearing mechanism being arranged to be operated when the carton has been suiiiciently removed from the block to expose the die.

11. In a bottom sealing machine, in combina tion, a forming block provided with a die disposed between the forming block and one of the top flaps of the carton positioned thereon, a punch adapted to cooperate with the die to form an opening in the carton flap and to deposit the punched out portions of the flap in the die, punch operating mechanism, means for moving the carton flap after the punching operation into a position to expose the die, and means for thereafter clearing the punched out portions of the flap from the die.

12. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, movable carton holding means for operatively supporting a carton during the bottom flap folding and sealing operations, a die mounted on the carton holding means, a punch adapted to cooperate with the die to form an opening in a top flap of a carton held by the carton holding means, means for aligning the die with the punch prior to the operation of the latter, and means for removing from the die the punched out portions of the carton flap.

13. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, movable carton holding means for operatively supporting a carton during the bottom flap folding and sealing operations, a die mounted on the carton holding means, a punch adapted to coperate with the die to form an opening in a top flap of a carton held by the carton holding means, means for aligning the die with the punch prior to the operation of the latter, means for removing the carton from the carton holding means, and means for removing from the die the punched out portions of the carton flap.

WILLIAM A. JOPLIN. 

